TY - JOUR
T1 - The brain and its time
T2 - intrinsic neural timescales are key for input processing
AU - Golesorkhi, Mehrshad
AU - Gomez-Pilar, Javier
AU - Zilio, Federico
AU - Berberian, Nareg
AU - Wolff, Annemarie
AU - Yagoub, Mustapha C.E.
AU - Northoff, Georg
N1 - Funding Information:
This research has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Program for Research and Innovation under the Specific Grant Agreement No. 785907 (Human Brain Project SGA2). GN is grateful for funding provided by UMRF, uOBMRI, CIHR, and PSI. We are also grateful to CIHR, NSERC, and SHERRC for supporting our tri-council grant from the Canada-UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative “The self as agent-environment nexus: crossing disciplinary boundaries to help human selves and anticipate artificial selves” (ES/T01279X/1) (together with Karl J. Friston from the UK).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - We process and integrate multiple timescales into one meaningful whole. Recent evidence suggests that the brain displays a complex multiscale temporal organization. Different regions exhibit different timescales as described by the concept of intrinsic neural timescales (INT); however, their function and neural mechanisms remains unclear. We review recent literature on INT and propose that they are key for input processing. Specifically, they are shared across different species, i.e., input sharing. This suggests a role of INT in encoding inputs through matching the inputs’ stochastics with the ongoing temporal statistics of the brain’s neural activity, i.e., input encoding. Following simulation and empirical data, we point out input integration versus segregation and input sampling as key temporal mechanisms of input processing. This deeply grounds the brain within its environmental and evolutionary context. It carries major implications in understanding mental features and psychiatric disorders, as well as going beyond the brain in integrating timescales into artificial intelligence.
AB - We process and integrate multiple timescales into one meaningful whole. Recent evidence suggests that the brain displays a complex multiscale temporal organization. Different regions exhibit different timescales as described by the concept of intrinsic neural timescales (INT); however, their function and neural mechanisms remains unclear. We review recent literature on INT and propose that they are key for input processing. Specifically, they are shared across different species, i.e., input sharing. This suggests a role of INT in encoding inputs through matching the inputs’ stochastics with the ongoing temporal statistics of the brain’s neural activity, i.e., input encoding. Following simulation and empirical data, we point out input integration versus segregation and input sampling as key temporal mechanisms of input processing. This deeply grounds the brain within its environmental and evolutionary context. It carries major implications in understanding mental features and psychiatric disorders, as well as going beyond the brain in integrating timescales into artificial intelligence.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113167573&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85113167573&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s42003-021-02483-6
DO - 10.1038/s42003-021-02483-6
M3 - Review article
C2 - 34400800
AN - SCOPUS:85113167573
SN - 2399-3642
VL - 4
JO - Communications Biology
JF - Communications Biology
IS - 1
M1 - 970
ER -